Скачать или смотреть Glimpses of migration #3 || Two mule deer bucks chasing females at a wildlfife-friendly fence

GLIMPSES OF MIGRATION #3 — WILL THE BUCKS JUMP OR DUCK THE FENCE?
**Watch at 1:00 to see how the bucks navigate the fence ** When was the last time you saw a mule deer buck? In this clip two mature mule deer bucks have joined a group of migrating females (does) and fawns. It’s a clear sign that the fall 2020 mating season has begun. With those antlers, the bucks would be hard-pressed to squeeze under this rancher’s wildlife-friendly fence. After the first buck crosses at 1:00, you can see he is followed at a distance by a rival. Unfortunately, the clip ends before the second buck crosses the fence, so we don't know what that one decided to do.

This clip was filmed last Halloween, just as migration and the rut were kicking into high gear. The gang includes what looks like three adult females, three fawns, and perhaps one female yearling. If they weren’t pregnant already, several of these females will soon be carrying the fawns that will be born in June 2021. Keep in mind that part of the rut overlaps with the 150-mile migration journey that 4,000 to 5,000 deer make from summer range to their Red Desert winter range.

Between mating season and migration, these animals have a lot going on!

#knowyourcorridors
#deer
#ibrakeformigration

About the clip:
UW student researcher Tanner Warder caught this clip in Sublette County in October 2020 as mule deer headed south before the deep snows hit. Funding for this clip comes from the Muley Fanatic Foundation, Wyoming Research Scholars Program, and Kauffman Lab of the Wyoming Coop Unit.

About wildlife friendly fences:
Last week many of you asked about wildlife-friendly fence designs. As we mentioned, these fences make it easier for migrating animals to move along their corridor, while also serving livestock management needs.

A typical wildlife-friendly design includes a top wire or solid wood beam at 42” or less so wildlife can easily jump over the fence, and extra spacing between the two top wires also helps ensure animals don’t get tangled in the wires. The bottom wire is a smooth and about 18” off the ground for animals to shimmy under (especially mule deer fawns and pronghorn antelope).

If a rancher is running cattle with calves in the pasture, the young cows can slip through the fence and get away from their mothers, but they can just as easily cross under again and get back to their moms. Learn more about fence designs here: https://wyomingwildlifefoundation.org...

Thanks to ranchers, The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming and many other public and private partners, by the end of this year about 200 miles of fence will be wildlife-friendly retrofitted along the migration corridors of Sublette County, WY.